This invention relates to enclosures for microcomputers, and more particularly to such an enclosure which facilitates access to and shielding of the operative components of a personal computer.
Personal computer systems in general and IBM personal computers in particular have attained widespread use for providing computer power to many segments of today's modern society. Personal computer systems can usually be defined as a desk top, floor standing, or portable microcomputer that consists of a system unit having a single system processor and associated volatile and non-volatile memory, a display monitor, a keyboard, one or more diskette drives, a fixed disk storage, and an optional printer. One of the distinguishing characteristics of these systems is the use of a motherboard or system planar to electrically connect these components together. These systems are designed primarily to give independent computing power to a single user and are inexpensively priced for purchase by individuals or small businesses. Examples of such personal computer systems are IBM's PERSONAL COMPUTER AT microcomputers and IBM's PERSONAL SYSTEM/2 Models 25, 30, 50, 60, 70 and 80 microcomputers.
These systems can be classified into two general families. The first family, usually referred to as Family I Models, use a bus architecture exemplified by the IBM PERSONAL COMPUTER AT and other "IBM compatible" machines. The second family, referred to as Family II Models, use IBM's MICRO CHANNEL bus architecture exemplified by IBM's PERSONAL SYSTEM/2 Models 50 through 80. The Family I models typically have used the popular INTEL 8088 or 8086 microprocessor as the system processor. These processors have the ability to address one megabyte of memory. The Family II models typically use the high speed INTEL 80286, 80386, and 80486 microprocessors which can operate in a real mode to emulate the slower speed INTEL 8086 microprocessor or a protected mode which extends the addressing range from 1 megabyte to 4 Gigabytes for some models. In essence, the real mode feature of the 80286, 80386, and 80486 processors provide hardware compatibility with software written for the 8086 and 8088 microprocessors.
Personal computer systems have generally been provided with enclosures which accomplish multiple desired purposes, including providing a pleasing visual appearance, providing protective packaging to protect the components against damage otherwise possibly occurring, and providing shielding against emission of electromagnetic interference. Many such systems are designed in contemplation of user addition of accessory cards such as video display drivers, communications devices of various sorts, and the like. For that reason, the enclosures used with most personal computer systems are designed to permit relatively easy user access to components housed within the enclosure.
A contrasting design requirement is that the enclosures permit achievement of security for the housed components. That is, while access is desirable, it is also desirable to control such access to guard against unauthorized modification of a system. The design resolution of these and other competing requirements has been the general adoption of fabricated metal enclosures with provision of various means for sliding covers from chassis components.
The use of sliding covers, while successfully meeting the competing design requirements, has presented some difficulties in use. One is that access to the components housed within the enclosure typically requires the entire removal of the cover, and such removal typically requires a relatively great extent of movement of the cover from the chassis. Another is that many covers can deceptively appear to be secured when that is not the case, leading to damage to the computer by dropping when an effort is made to lift the computer by the enclosure.